Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1887-07-22

That "human nature Is a curious thing
and there is plenty Of it's probably
better exemplifed on board great
ocean steamship than in any other place
in the world. There Is to be found
motley sssemblage OF men, women snd
children, sometimes numbering upward
of 500 souls-not packed like herrings
in barrel. motionless and compressed'
/ but as bees in hive, active and swarm
/ ing about every hour in the day. Their
lives are linked together and subject to
one common destiny for the time being,
and the knowledge OF this fact, rs we'll
AS the circumscribed nature Of the i'm
mediate surroundings, promotes socia-
bility aud good fellowship, and induces
( passengers To take an unusual interest In
/ their neighbors.
/ The vast majority OF the travelling
| public accept with complacency, aud
/ quite as a matter OF course, the relne'
/ ments aud eonvenienees To be found on
| board the ocean steamers of to-day
/ They fail tograsp the full extent Of the
/ advancement which has taken place
within the last half century, aud they
/ are apt to overlook the intricacies Of the
! human mechanism which has To be con-
/ stantly but quietly kept In motion for
| the attainment of order, regularity and
/ 4 In Ial
conception OF the vastness and variety
/ OF he provisioning necessary for the
proper maintenance Of the crowds car
/ ried i'm our modern floating hotels; nor
have they the slightest idea OF ;he guam
titles of fuel and ships stores generally
absor bed by these Unsuitable leyiathans.
The Britannia, built in 1889, took GOO
tons of coal leaving Liverpool on her
outward voyage. She burned forty-four
tons per day, while her steam pressure
was nine pounds and her speed little
over eight knots per hour. Gradually
and steadily the ocean steamers In
creased In all these particulars until the
elimination was reached la "a vessel
built In 1885. She has averaged aspeed
Of eighteen knots In nine consecutive
voyages between Queenstown and New
York, which Is equal to nearly twenty
one statute miles per hour, or somewhat
greater than the average speed OF the
ordinary train service OF any railway In
the world. Her engines Indicate IL 900
horse. power and are supplied with
steam from nine double-.nded boilers,
each with eight furnaces. The total
consumption Of coal Is 800 tons per day;
or twelve tons per hour, or 466 pounds
perminute; and II the whole Of the fires
were raked together and formed Into
large fire there would be forty-two tons
of coal, OF mass twenty feet long,
twenty feet broad and rather more than
four feet high iiercely burning. Besides
the coal, 100 gallons Of oil are used daily
for journals, bearings, etc.
Passengers inhale with the SEA air All
excess OF enthusiasm, and are ready TO
become excited OH the smallest provoca.
ton. Is 1t passing vessel? Or n
spouting whale9 Or a towering iceberg!
IL forms for the nonsense all absorbing
topic of Interest aud eager speculation.
But, even 10 those who can not be term.
ed eplcures, the chief concern aud
uppermost thought Of each day is un-
doubtedly "what shall we eat and what
shall we drink?" The fresh breezes
create heavy appetItes, and with num-
bers OF people the time is agreeably
spent in the enjoyment Of one meal or
in the anticipation Of the next. Under
these circumstances, what an improve
ment department IL that under charge
of the chief steward.
The amount OF provisions, groceries,
etc.. on board ut the time OF sailing ls
very large. For y single passage to the
westward one of the most noted steamers
with 5I7 cabin passengers and crew Of
2l7 persons had, when leaving Liver
pool ob 2sth August last, the following
quantities OF provisions-l2,J0o pounds
fresh beef, 7G0 pounds corned beef. 1870
pounds mutton, $50 pounds lamb. $50
pounds Of veal, $50 pounds pork, 1900
pounds fresh fsh, 600 fowls, 300 chick
ems. 100 ducks, 90 geese, so turkeys, 200
brace grouse, - tons potatoes. 30 ham,
pers vegetables, go quarts Ice cream,
1000 quarts milk and IL 500 eggs.
70 groceries alone there were over 200
different articles, including (for the
round voyage Of twenty-five days. eb0
pounds tea, 200 pounds coffee, $50
pounds white sugar, $500 pounds moist
sugar, 750 pounds pulverizec sugar,
!, 800 pounds cheese, 1900 pounds but.
ter, 1850 pounds ham aud 900 pounds
bacon.
The quantities of wine. spirits, beer,
etc., put on bosrc for consumption on
the round voyage comprise 100 bottles
OF champagne, $50 bottles Of claret,
1000 bottles Of ale, $500 bottles Of por-
ter, 6, 800 bottles OF mineral water and
$50 bottles Of various spirits.